Never Alone
by lovebeauty011
Summary: One shot of Harry & Hermione after break ups.


**(One shot HP fic. I just needed something to write. As always: I don't own it! Enjoy!)**

The howling winds outside the castle shook the Gryffindor tower. He was alone tonight. Like the many nights before him. Rolling over in his bed, he punched the pillow again trying to get comfortable, but he couldn't sleep. Sighing, Harry sat up in his bed and pushed aside the curtain. Inside the room, that he had called home for the past six years now, his roommates were snoring.

Swinging his legs over the side of his bed, he sighed deeply and stood. Finding his robe, he slipped it on over his pajamas. Tiptoeing out of the room, he quietly made his way down the flight of stairs that led to the Common Room. He figured since it was quite late that no one would be awake.

He was wrong.

Coming to an abrupt halt, he saw someone sitting on the couch in front of a roaring fire. He nearly turned around and headed back up to his room when he decided against it. Stepping lightly off the last step, he crossed the room until he came around the couch. Sitting on the worn red couch was Hermione. Wrapped in a scarlet blanket, he watched as she gazed into the fire.

He wondered if he should leave her alone or join her. Misery always loved company, didn't it? But was he miserable? It had been three days since he found Ginny coming out of a broom closet with Dean. Deep down, he was far more furious than saddened. Ginny had pleaded with him for the past two days and tonight he walked past her without saying a word.

He stood there for a few minutes until she realized someone was standing in the room with her. Turning her head, she saw Harry standing there. Giving each other a smile, she motioned for him to sit with her.

Taking a seat beside her, Harry watched as she silently opened her blanket and offered part of it to him. Accepting it from her, they sat close together never saying a word. The fire before them snapped and crackle every few minutes. It was the only sound in the room sans their own breathing and heartbeats.

He gave a smile to himself when she laid her head on his shoulder. Nothing needed to be said. He knew that she found out what had happened. Reaching his arm around her, he pulled her even closer to him. She said nothing, but sighed in contentment. He hesitated to ask her why she was up, but she would only ask him why _he_ was up.

The quiet chime of the clock reminded them that it was midnight. The Common room had been quiet for many hours now until Harry joined Hermione on the couch. A window rattled against the howling wind as thunder shook the tower. Both he and Hermione jumped at the noise. Looking at each other, they smiled sheepishly.

"You can't sleep?" he heard her ask.

"No. You?" he replied quietly.

"Not tonight." she said, burrowing her head further into his warmth. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not really. It's over with." he said shortly. "What about you?"

"It's way over. I don't even have it in me to be angry with him anymore." she sighed, a tear escaping her left eye. "I should have known it was coming."

"No one paid attention, Hermione. I can even say I didn't see it either." he reasoned with her. "When did it happen?"

"The day after you caught Ginny." she sat up and looked at him. Her eyes were rimmed red. Harry's own heart broke for her. "Do you know what he said after I caught him?"

Harry shook his head at her. Ron never mentioned it to him. But, then again, Harry knew he was wallowing in his own misery to even ask.

"He told me that even though I was smart and 'pretty to look at'." she began using quotes. "There was no way that he and I could continue dating. He blamed it on needing to find a pureblood girlfriend. Merlin, he sounded just like Malfoy!"

Harry remained quiet while she ranted. He knew from experience to let her talk when she was upset. All he could do was hold her. He found comfort with her in a way he never thought he could. Looking at her, he realized that he had been a fool all the years. While she wasn't perfect in Ron's eyes, she was perfect in his.

Collapsing in his arms again, Harry wrapped his own around her and held her tightly. She may not have been angry with Ron, but she was sad. Harry wondered why Ron would cheat on her? Both he and Ginny cheated on the two people they had been chasing after for years. Why now? Would they ever find out why?

Was he even brave enough to ask?

Another chime of the clock signalled one AM. The night was slowly slipping from them. Looking down in Hermione's dark mane, Harry sighed and closed his eyes. He could feel the heat of the fire brush across his face. When she shifted, he opened his eyes to meet hers. Though, her tears had stopped the he could see the tear stains on her face.

Lifting his hand, Harry reached over and gently brushed away the remaining tears that refused to leave Hermione's face. He watched as she briefly closed her eyes, then reopened them. In that quiet moment, sitting in the Common room, the two of them wondered what it would be like. What it would be like if they weren't _just_ friends. Would things be better or worse than there were at that moment?

In that moment, Harry simply didn't care about the 'what-if's' that was barrelling through his mind. Pulling Hermione closer to him, their lips were a breath away from touching when it was Hermione that finished closing the space between them.

Her lips were soft, but tasted like salt from the tears that Ron didn't deserve. Adjusting herself, Hermione pulled herself closer to Harry. Their kiss, most likely their only one, never broken. He held back a groan when her fingers fisted in his hair. Their lips danced with each other slowly, tentatively.

It wasn't their first kiss and Harry wished it wouldn't be their last. When they last broke apart, Harry reluctantly pulled away from her. Opening his eyes, he saw that Hermione's was still closed. Was she embarrassed? Caressing her cheek, he felt the heat of her skin pierce his fingers. When she did finally open her eyes, Harry let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding.

"Hermione I…." he opened his mouth to begin apologizing.

Placing her hand over his fully kissed lips, "Don't. I wanted too. I've wanted too a long time now."

He sighed in relief. She didn't hate him at all. "Me too, Hermione. Me too."


End file.
